Plus a growing political storm over DACA, family reunification and gun control

A growing push to expand the availability of medical marijuana is taking place in conservative rural Texas, of all places, and the effects of the ongoing drive are likely to show up in the legislative session next year.

Voters in Oklahoma recently approved one of the nation's most permissive medical-marijuana laws, allowing patients with state licenses to keep eight ounces in their homes and carry three ounces with them. They can also possess up to 12 marijuana plants.

Texas, where marijuana is still thought of in many places as "hippie dope" from the 1960s, has been slow to embrace the concept of medical marijuana, and only approved it for limited conditions in the 2017 legislative session -- long after more than two dozen other states had embraced it for medical treatments.

Just as elusive may be whether many of Texas' statewide candidates will face each other in debates before the November general election, except for the U.S. Senate race where incumbent Republican Ted Cruz is actively promoting several face-offs with challenger Beto O'Rourke.

Texas legalized medical marijuana for certain epilepsy patients three years ago, but only on a very restricted basis. Even though the state has an estimated 500,000 epileptics, only 30 or so neurologists in the state are allowed to prescribe medical cannabis and only three dispensaries are filling prescriptions.

Photo: Jeff Chiu, STF / Associated Press

The rest of the political week: New skirmishes in court over DACA, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick pronounces so-called "red flag" legislation to restrict gun ownership to be DOA in the state Senate next year and how politics are playing out for Republican incumbents in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.

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